• 2 min read
Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra keeps the notch
A live certification photo suggests Samsung will keep the U-shaped notch on the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra ahead of a rumored September 2026 launch.
Image: ITzine
Samsung appears set to keep the most divisive part of its next flagship tablet. A live photo of the Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra from South Korea’s Safety Korea certification database shows the device once again using a U-shaped notch for the front camera, despite earlier leaks pointing to a cleaner hole-punch design.
For Samsung’s Ultra tablet line, that matters. The notch has been a recurring complaint since the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, and the new image suggests the company is sticking with the same design approach for a fourth straight generation. The front panel in the photo shows very thin bezels, and leaks say the Ultra model’s borders will be noticeably slimmer than those on the Tab S12+. But the display cutout remains.
The image also appears to show one front-facing camera. That clashes with expectations raised by animations found in the One UI 9 beta, where enthusiasts spotted tablets with a centered selfie camera hole instead.
If the leak is accurate, Samsung will be carrying forward a design introduced with the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra in 2022 and then retained on the Tab S9 Ultra. That comes even as rivals move toward cleaner front designs. Apple’s iPad Pro 13 has no notch, while many premium Android tablets place the front camera in the bezel instead.
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According to rumors, the Galaxy Tab S12 series will launch in September 2026, likely around IFA in Berlin. The Ultra model is expected to feature:
- a 14.6-inch OLED display with up to 120Hz refresh rate
- a MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chip
- at least 12GB of RAM
- up to 1TB of storage with microSD support
- an 11,600mAh battery
- 45W charging
- One UI 9 based on Android 17 out of the box
That points to a careful refresh rather than a visible redesign. In the premium tablet segment, that may be a tougher sell: Canalys says global tablet shipments in 2025 grew more slowly than smartphones, making buyers less likely to spend on a high-end model simply because it is new.
Computing Editor
Tomas lives in the terminal. He covers chips, laptops, and operating systems with a focus on performance and efficiency. He reads kernel changelogs the way other people read fiction, and he's always on the hunt for the perfect mechanical keyboard switch. If it processes data, Tomas has an opinion on it.
via ITzine
